Too Many Losing Heroines! Volume 8 Chapter 3 & Intermission

 TL: Thrashy Art

～Third Loss - Crimson Rhapsody~

A week passed.
Those past commotions felt like a lie, and peaceful days continued.
Tiara-san and Sakurai-kun were both buried in preparations for the student council's last big task—the sports festival.

Then came that Sunday weekend.
The three of us—me, Yanami, and Komari—rode trains and subways from Toyohashi Station for dozens of minutes to arrive at Nagoya City's track-and-field stadium.

Here was the Tokai High School Invitational Track and Field Meet—aka the Inter-High—where Yaki-shio would compete for a spot in the national tournament.
He'd already topped the morning's 1500 m heats.
If he places in the top six in the final that's about to start, his national berth will be decided...

We sat on the sparsely filled spectator benches.
Komari, sitting between Yanami and me, whispered in a prayerful pose:

"Y-Yaki-shio... do you think he'll be okay...?"

Worried Komari fidgeted with her popcorn bag when Yanami reached in and said:

"He'll be fine. Lemon-chan's really fast."

"All the people here are fast, though."

A fair objection, Komari muttered—then suddenly stood up.
From the stairs into the stands appeared our Literature Club alumna, Tsukinoki Koto.
Seeing us, she waved energetically.

"Sorry, sorry I'm late!"

That familiar, yet nostalgic voice rang out.

"S-Senpai!"
Komari bounced over, grabbed Koto's hands, and they gleefully reunited.

As we moved forward to join them, former club president Tamaki also appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Long time no see, everyone."

Once the greetings were done, Tamaki came to stand beside me and watched the laughing women.

"How's university?" she asked.

"Barely keeping up," I sighed. "Even as a freshman, labs and reports are busier than I expected."

"So no time for anime or light novels, then?"

"Actually, that's not true. Living alone is the best—freedom in the name of 'personal responsibility.'"

Tamaki grinned.

"Here's the trick: watch anime while doing reports.
If you want manga or light novels, just don't sleep."

She clenched her fists excitedly.

"You can plaster your room with posters or tapestries—even on the ceiling—and nobody complains.
If you really want, you can even hang a dakimakura."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Doesn't Koto-senpai say anything about it?"

Tamaki's eyes went distant.

"Compared to Koto's room, that's child's play.
In her place, half-naked men stare at each other from every corner, and BL voice dramas play constantly like café BGM."

That, apparently, is the lovers' nest.
Whether it's boasting or not is debatable, but they're definitely close.

"Seems like you two are doing well," I said.

"Well... we manage somehow," Tamaki replied. "So, Nukumizu, what about you?"

"Huh?"

I parroting her words back, and Tamaki leaned in close.

"Has nothing developed? You're not the rumored 'new transfer student,' are you?"

"Nothing at all," I laughed. "They don't even treat me like a guy."

I tried to brush it off, but then she asked:

"You know about that new club member?"

"I've heard she's quite the talent. Isn't she supposed to come before the final?"

Scanning the stands, I spotted Shiratama Riko coming down the stairs.
Our eyes met, and she waved as she hurried over.

"President, sorry I'm late!"

"It hasn't started yet, so you're fine."

...Riko sure runs slowly.

When she finally reached us, she pressed her hand to her chest and caught her breath.

"Hehe, I was so eager to see you, President, I just ran."

Then, as if noticing Tamaki for the first time, her eyes blinked wide.

"Are you—Tamaki-senpai from the club? Nice to meet you, I'm Shiratama Riko."

"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Tamaki—was in the Lit Club until last year. And that's Koto—"

Before Tamaki could finish, Riko gently enveloped her hand in both of hers.

"!?"

"Did you drop this key? Here you go."

Tamaki, sounding awkwardly grateful, took it while Riko smiled sweetly.

"That was close. If I'd been a bad kid, I might've sneaked into your house, you know?"

"Well, someone like you would be welcome company..."

I thought, What on earth am I hearing? Tamaki was fighting back a grin.

As I watched, Tsukinoki-senpai abruptly pushed between them.

"You must be Shiratama-san? Nice to meet you. I'm an alumna—"

"Wow, are you Tsukinoki-san? I've heard so much about you!"

Releasing Tamaki's hand, Riko gave a polite bow.

"Oh? My reputation wasn't exactly spotless, was it?"

"No, not at all! You're even more beautiful than I'd heard. I get so nervous around all you amazing Literature Club seniors."

"S-So..."

Tsukinoki-senpai stood frozen, completely deflated by the praise.

Feeling the awkward air, Riko tilted her head curiously.

"What's wrong? Why don't we all sit down and chat?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having finished in the restroom and returned to the main stand with the spectator seats, I saw the girls' 400 m final was just about to start. Yakishio's turn would be in twenty minutes. Somehow I was getting nervous too...

As I turned to head back to our seats, someone slipped an arm around my shoulders from behind.
"Yo, Nukumizu‑kun."
"Ah—hey."

Waiting there for me was Tsukinoki‑senpai, her glasses catching the light. Clearly she'd been on the lookout.

"I heard you've been helping Basori‑chan with something lately."
"Uh, well... I've been helping out with the election stuff."
"So, you planning to join the student council if she wins?"
"No, I'm not planning that."

I slipped free of her arm.

"You were vice president in your second year, right? What was the election like back then?"
"It was tough—our president was so flaky. He invited me to run, then hardly ever did any campaigning."
"Really? So you did all the prep yourself?"

Tsukinoki‑senpai shook her head.
"I didn't do a thing. All I did was that one support speech."
"Wait—so you won with just one speech?"
"I sure did. And afterward, all the teachers swarmed me—that was a memorable moment."

...What on earth did you do?

Unable to pry, I watched Tsukinoki‑senpai wistfully continue.
"Looking back, I still wonder why the president asked me. My grades were bad, and I wasn't exactly popular with the teachers."

"Huh..."

She fell silent and gazed out onto the field. Following her eyes, I saw the slowest runner break the finish line in last place for the 400 m.

In the same field stood both winners and losers.

Lost in thought, I barely registered Tsukinoki‑senpai's quiet voice.
"After the election, what do you plan to do, Nukumizu‑kun?"
"...Huh?"

I'd already said I wasn't joining. As I wondered what she meant, her expression softened.
"Sorry for the weird question. Let's go back to the others, yeah?"
"Oh—right. It's about to start."

We walked side by side when, all of a sudden, Tsukinoki‑senpai ruffled my hair in big, joking handfuls.
"Hey, please stop that..."
"Your turn is going to be tough too, Nukumizu‑kun. Do your best."

It already felt tough just sitting here.

With deadpan eyes, I let her mess up my hair as we made our way back to our group.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Women's 1500 m final.
Yakishio is in lane five.

When the announcer called her name over the PA, Yakishio raised one hand and bowed once—wearing an air somehow more mature than on the day we raced each other.

We all held our breath, waiting for the start.

By the way, Shiratama‑san sitting next to me smells nice. I wonder if she changed her perfume again...

While I was distracted by Shiratama‑san,

—On your marks.

That familiar phrase came through the speakers.

The runners leaned forward on the starting line—and at the crack of the starter pistol, Yakishio shot instantly to the front.

From the front row of the stands, the Tsuwabuki Track Team's reserves erupted in cheers.

Yanami and the others couldn't help shouting, but Komari sat frozen with her fists clenched at her chest, watching in silence.

Despite Komari's worry, Yakishio only picked up speed.

No tactics or positioning mattered—she acted as if she were the only one on the track, pulling away from everyone else.

—To win nationals.

In the infirmary that day, Yakishio said exactly that.

She's clumsy in many ways yet more delicate than she seems—and that's what makes her stronger than anyone else.

On the final lap, her lead over second place grew wider. All that remained was crossing the finish line.

I stood up without thinking and found myself shouting her name. Even though the outcome was clear, I couldn't control my excitement.

Next to me, Komari had also risen and was cheering wildly.

Yakishio crossed the line more than ten seconds ahead of second place, and then, still looking as if it wasn't quite enough, slowed down and thrust her left arm toward the stands.

"Y‑Yeah, she did it! Amazing, amazing!"

Komari, overexcited, tried to hug me—then abruptly changed targets and leaped into Yanami's arms. Yeah, that makes sense.

Not sure what to do with my arms, I sat down again—when Tamaki‑senpai patted my shoulder.

"If it helps, my chest is open."
"I thought about it, but I'll pass."

We all laughed in this weird mood, when suddenly

"Both of you, my chest is open too, you know?"

Shiratama‑san spread both arms in front of us.

...Wait, is that really okay?

Before I could decide, Tsukinoki‑senpai came up behind Shiratama‑san, scooped her up, and hugged her.

"All right, let big sis fill that gap in your heart!"
"Whoa—Tsukinoki‑san, you're strong! Where are you taking me?"

...And just like that, Shiratama‑san was carried away. I guess that's how anyone who tried to make a move on Tamaki‑senpai got "handled."

Before I even had time to breathe, a small figure fetched across the bench toward us—Asagumo‑san. Her forehead caught the light, and she pumped both fists up and down.

"She did it! Lemon‑chan was amazing!"
"Asagumo‑san's here too. Yakishio's run was incredible, right?"

She nodded without a word—then spun around and dashed off again.

...She's really restless. Speaking of which, if Asagumo‑san came back here, then...

I glanced back and saw Ayano. She was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. I get it, but not in front of her, man...

While I worried on her behalf, the men's 1500 m had already started on the track.

Only a few events remain today. With Tsuwabuki's athletes done competing, all that's left is the awards ceremony.

I tried to calm my heart and sat back down.

That Yakishio—true to her word—claimed her ticket to nationals by an overwhelming margin. Her declaration to "win nationals" might actually come true...

"Wow, Lemon‑chan was fast."

Yanami said in a carefree tone as she sat next to me.

"'Fast' doesn't even cover it. Last year, that time would've put her on the national podium."

"Ohho, as expected of Lemon‑chan."

Yanami crunched popcorn into her mouth with a moshari—the onomatopoeic rustle of kernels.

"So how many more wins does she need to cement nationals?"

...Huh? Yanami's eyes were clear as glass.

"Well, that race decided it."

"Reeeally..."

She popped another handful of popcorn in.

"Wait—so that was the final? Lemon‑chan wasn't supposed to be that fast?!"
"Yeah, she's that fast, all right."

I fulfilled my duty as Yanami's seatmate with a smile and a nod.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next Monday.
Even after school, the afterglow of yesterday clung to my heart.

Floating along, I looked up at Sakurai-kun's election poster pasted on the corridor wall.
He wore that fresh smile and reached out one hand toward us.

There were girls snapping photos of the poster—Sakurai-kun really is popular...

Next to it, the policy statement sheet listed things like an open student council and reforms to the club system.

...Huh, there's something odd written at the very end.

"Ha, that settles it."

Yanami appeared, flipping her hair back with a flourish.
She tapped the policy statement paper with a triumphant grin.

"I came up with the last item. What do you think? Makes you want to vote, doesn't it, Nukumizu-kun?"

Her finger pointed to the very bottom, which read:
"Post the cafeteria menu on the student council website!"

Good—Sakurai-kun's still in his right mind.

"Yanami, do you even use the cafeteria? You always bring a bento."

"Too shallow, too shallow, Nukumizu-kun."

Yanami pulled a crust from her pocket and waved it teasingly in front of me.

"Listen. If you look at the menu while eating your bento—what do you think happens?"

"...You'd probably spill your food. You spill a lot, you know."

"I don't spill! See, when you read the menu while you eat, it feels like you're also eating the daily special.
You get two meals' worth of satisfaction in one—ultimate dieting, right?"

She munched proudly on the crust.
Whatever you think of her logic, eating only one real meal is definitely dieting for Yanami.

Satisfied, I shifted my gaze to Tiara-san's policy statement posted beside it.
Her proposals were serious: increased club budgets, making student council activities more transparent, and so on.

By the way, compressing her original draft to fit the character limit was unbelievably tough—mostly because of persuading Tiara-san herself.

Lost in those memories, I barely noticed when Yanami poked my cheek again with the crust.

"Hey, what about Basori‑san's poster? Didn't you make one?"

Right... what's up with Tiara‑san's poster?

I pulled out my phone—and just then, a message from Tiara‑san slid onto the screen:

──Can you come to our usual spot?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The election headquarters for Tiara's campaign—namely, the stone table in the courtyard.
I'd arrived, but Tiara-san was nowhere to be seen.
Calling someone out and then making them wait... that's not like Tiara-san's stealthy style...

Scanning the area, I noticed a girl approaching from the covered walkway.
She looked exactly like Chika‑pyon from this season's anime "Almost Outlaw Girls" (Season 2 Ver.).
What really grabbed my attention were those striped thigh‑high socks.

In Episode 9's "Absolute Zone Operation," they finally went full‑cotton—
......
......Wait, Chika‑pyon?
This is bad. Have I finally started hallucinating?

Rubbing my eyes, she was still there.
She wore the Tsuwabuki High uniform: striped high socks and a short skirt framing an irresistible 'absolute zone.'
Her hair was long and straight, tied just above the ears into two little side‑ponytails—what they call a two‑side up.
Chika‑pyon stopped in front of me; her eyebrows were a bit more pronounced than usual, and there was a beauty mark on her neck—
......Tiara-san, what are you up to?

Frozen in shock, I blinked up at Tiara-san, who hung her head in embarrassment.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Nukumizu‑kun."
"Ah—uh, I just got here."

Tiara-san shuffled her feet and nervously drew circles on the ground with her shoe tip.

"D‑don't you notice anything?"
"Um... notice what?"

I only noticed bewilderment—but before I could blurt it out:

"L‑look... at this."

Blushing fiercely, Tiara‑san patted those little side‑ponytails from beneath, making them bob up and down.

"See? See?"
"......."

What on earth is happening?
I decided to stay silent and simply watch—this solemn (?), serious Tiara-san was showing this... spectacle.

I figured it'd be rude not to etch it into my memory.

"Well, Nukumizu‑kun... look... um..."

Her momentum faltered. Tiara-san was red from head to neck.
As I wondered how far she'd go, her body began to tremble. Her face drained of color, fading past red to ashen.

"Tiara-san, maybe—let's stop now—"
"Nukumizu‑kun! Say something, will you!?"

She finally snapped.
"Well, I'm totally not following whatever this is, but..."
"Because, Nukumizu‑kun, you said you like this character, right!?"

Tiara-san pressed in close, demanding an answer.
Sure, I like the character, but why are you dressed like that?

Completely bewildered, I was about to ask—when someone approached.

"Sorry to interrupt—Newspaper Club here!"

A girl from the Newspaper Club, wielding a DSLR, stepped forward.
Her skirt was absurdly short, but she gave a bright, professional bow.

"Basori‑san, you haven't taken your election‑poster photos yet, right?"
"Huh— I thought I'd already sent some to Sensei."
"Those were the commemorative shots from last year's council inauguration, right? They won't accept any photo older than three months."

Oh—so there's a rule about that.

Tiara-san bowed her head respectfully.
"My apologies. We'll arrange a new shoot."
"Sensei told us to get photos by today. Shall we go?"

With an upbeat sales‑smile, the Newspaper‑Club girl grabbed Tiara-san's arm.

"W‑wait, not like this—"
"We need to finish printing the posters today too. Sensei's been waiting."
"Oh—well, right."

...And just like that, Tiara-san was whisked away.
She glanced back toward me, as if pleading for help—but it's protocol, so I couldn't step in.

Alone in the courtyard, I stared up at the still‑bright sky.
In the end, what was that cosplay all about...?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the north side of Tokiwa-dōri Arcade by the station, there's a single coffee shop.
This long‑standing café on the second floor has a calm atmosphere, and its clientele tends to be on the older side.

"It's not like that... it really isn't..."
Two days have passed since that shocking cosplay incident.
Head down on the table, moaning, is Tiara‑san.
Seeing her back in her usual hairstyle is... a little disappointing.

"You say that, but look at this pose—aren't you totally into it? You had fun, right?"
On my phone screen is the campaign poster for student‑council‑president candidate Basori Tiara.
Tiara‑san is making that "Chika‑pyon" pose—twirling both index fingers.

"I had no choice! You told me to strike a pose, so I practiced—and then this happened—Stop looking at that photo here!"
Tiara‑san springs upright. Good to see her energy's back.
At last noticing the café's quiet patrons, she looks around, puzzled.

"...By the way, why did you bring me here?"
"Tiara‑san, you said you wanted to get away from school, right? And since you never answered my messages, I took the liberty of booking us in."
I set a glass of red grape juice in front of her. Tiara‑san picks it up curiously.

"...It's not coffee, huh?"
"You're not all that into coffee, are you?"
"How do you know I'm not good with coffee?"
"When we went to that board‑game café, you dumped sugar and milk in and downed it in one go."

I lift my own grape juice glass.
"And I thought, hey, when you're worn out, something sweet might help. I usually order coffee, but I figured we'd try juice for a change."

Tiara‑san stares at the glass, then gently sips through the straw.
"Tasty..."
"Right? They use grapes from a winery in Azumino."

She seems more at ease now. As I reach for my juice, Tiara‑san murmurs with a sidelong glance:
"...You're pretty practiced at this."
"Huh?"

"You're oddly good at dealing with a worn‑out girl—luring me into a calm café I can't see into from outside, then winning me over with something sweet."
That's a bit harsh. You're the first person I've ever brought here besides Kaju.

Well, if we're back to business, I might as well ask:
"So, why were you dressed like that the other day?"

Goff! Tiara‑san spits out her juice.
Wiping her mouth with a handkerchief, she looks up at me with glassy eyes.

"Do I need to explain that?"
"Well, it ties into the election..."
"Um, that's... a bit..."

I show her the poster photo on my screen. Tiara‑san leans forward in a panic.

"It was an erotic appeal! I thought I'd use sexy tactics to get you to be my recommender!"
Panting, she gulps her grape juice.

So I was being seduced in public—completely unbeknownst to me.
"In that outfit, I planned to say something like 'Please be my recommender, nyan—'"
"Yes! I would never say 'nyan'!"

Completely unabashed, Tiara‑san slams her empty glass down.

"So again: would you reconsider? I want you to support me."
She straightens her back and meets my eyes earnestly.

...Why is she so serious? I search for words.
"Why me? If Sensei introduced someone, they'd definitely get more votes."
"Maybe. But I want to ask you."

We're going in circles. I steel myself to refuse—but Tiara‑san cuts in:

"Do you know why I was chosen as vice president?"
"I thought Shikiya‑senpai recommended you."
Tiara‑san nods, staring at her empty glass.

"Why did he recommend someone he hardly ever talked to? Why appoint me vice president? I was too scared to ask."

She searches her memory as she speaks:

"My first contact with the seniors was when I helped the council as a volunteer. Honestly, I didn't do much then, either."
"No, that can't be."
Tiara‑san shakes her head gently:

"You know I'm rigid and inflexible. I've clashed with people—once the president even had to smooth things over for me. So when he asked me to be a recommender in last year's election, I thought it was a joke."

She clasps an empty water glass and watches the rippling surface:

"Now I think maybe he felt sorry for me, always butting heads—so he kept me within his sight."

Lifting her head, she says:

"That's why I want to win—so I can stand there with everyone on equal footing, as a genuine friend."
"And... why me?"
"The president and Shikiya‑senpai care about you so much. I feel you have what I lack."

Her gaze is so earnest I can't look away. I manage a hesitant smile:

"That's a bit much."
"It's not."

She replies firmly:

"When I gave my support speech for President Hōkohara last year, my legs shook."
"Oh, Tiara‑san, you did a support speech too."
"...You heard it, didn't you?"

She clears her throat and starts again:

"That girl—the one who rode on the president's coattails—people complained she was arrogant. This year, I'm a candidate standing where he stood. Honestly, I'm terrified."

Placing a hand on her chest, she takes a deep breath:

"I need your words. Even as a formality. With that, I can stand up there with confidence. So—"
Tiara‑san stares straight at me.

"Just this once—will you support only me?"

Her near-monologue ends. I'm stunned by her sincerity and remain silent.

"Sorry for dropping this on you out of the blue."
"No, it's fine..."

Silence returns. Trying to shift the mood, Tiara‑san calls to a passing server:

"Let me treat you. Shall we order coffee?"
"But you said you don't like coffee."
"I do, but if you like it, I'll learn to enjoy it."

Why do I get to dictate that...?

She pulls a folded sheet of paper from her bag:

"Oh, I printed out the school newspaper's election analysis."

She spreads it on the table:

"The Newspaper Club did an analysis?"
"They surveyed voting intentions. Look here."

Tiara‑san points at a pie chart showing support rates:
Sakurai‑kun 45, Tiara‑san 30, Undecided 25.
It even breaks down by grade and gender:
Sakurai‑kun is strong among first‑ and third‑year girls and second‑year boys; Tiara‑san is doing well with first‑year boys.

So far, no clear advantage. Tiara‑san's expression turns serious. I pick up the paper:

"But this paper's full of gossip. You shouldn't worry too much. They called Sakurai‑kun a 'woman's enemy'—that's nonsense."
Even so, Sakurai‑kun's being slandered doesn't feel good.
At my words, Tiara‑san's face flickers with a complex expression.

"What is it?"
"...I think that 'woman's enemy' refers to you, Nukumizu‑kun."
"Wait, I've never even had a girlfriend."
"Yes, I know. You prefer men, right?"
"No—that's not it!"

I blurt out reflexively; Tiara‑san calmly retrieves a notebook:

"What are you doing?"
"Sorry, but for points needing review, I write them down so I can reread later when I'm clear-headed."

She mumbles as she writes:

"'Nukumizu‑kun... regardless of gender... indiscriminately...'"

Not exactly. And please don't keep glancing at me while you do that.

I restrain my urge to interject—don't disturb her process.
Instead, I return to the school paper:

Reading it as if it's about me, they've written anything-goes claims—that I flirt with girls but never date them.
And that "second‑year beauty A‑ko" must be Yanami Anna—written about even more wildly. Frustrating how some points align...

—Patang. The notebook closes, breaking my reverie.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm done."
Tiara‑san smiles, finally relaxed, and tentatively sips the freshly delivered coffee.

"Black is okay?"
"Surprisingly, yes—but I'll add some sugar."

I watch fondly as she sweetens her drink, then taste mine:

"...Is this unusually good? What did you order?"
"Kilimanjaro. It said 'king of coffee.'"

That's pricy—Is this on you...?

Tiara‑san glances at her watch:

"Ah, it's almost 6 PM."
"Huh—curfew?"
She pulls out her phone:

"The school paper's Issue 2 drops at 6."
"The 'read the rest online' one?"
"I don't fully get how it works, but you pay and the rest unlocks. The annual plan was cheaper, so I signed up."

Maybe don't sign up if you don't understand it...

Studying her screen intently, she suddenly turns it to me:

"Nukumizu‑kun, look!"
"Uh, Vice President Basori's cosplay is behind a paywall—"
"Not that!"

She shows me the latest voting‑intention poll:
Sakurai‑kun up to 50 (+5), Tiara‑san up to 45 (+15).

Her eyes shine as she leans forward:

"A big leap! Clearly the policy statement resonated?"
"Maybe. Mind if I see the breakdown?"

Comparing the new and previous results:

"The big gain is from male voters—women's support actually dipped. Uh, hard to say..."

As I hesitate, Tiara‑san leans in:

"Go on, don't hold back."
"Well—the cosplay poster probably went over well."

Tiara‑san flinches:

"My outfit...?"
Well, it wasn't bad. I borrow her phone and check the board:

"Oh—there's a forum on the Newspaper Club site."
"A forum? What do they say?"
"Hang on..."

I hide her screen—anonymous high-school forums can get ugly:
"Why is she cosplaying?"
"No way."
"Selling sex, huh?"

Negative takes abound. The dramatic poster is eye‑catching, but it's too much for earnest Tsuwabuki students.
And the flame‑war posts—definitely not for Tiara‑san's eyes:
"Absolute Zone! I'll vote for you!"
"Chika‑pyon! Chika‑pyon!"

...No way I can show her.

"What's wrong?"
"You shouldn't read this stuff."
"After flashing that cosplay to the whole school, it's a bit late, isn't it?"

Tiara‑san takes back her phone and narrows her eyes:

"...There are reactions I expected—and reactions I didn't."
"Well, the chant stuff is from Episode 8's baseball gag—"
"I know. I watched all 12 episodes of 'Almost Outlaw Girls' before I dressed like that."

Good—Season 2's out, so she's up to date.

"What does 'My Out is Just Out, Nyan' mean?"
"No clue—don't you dare Google it."

Tsuwabuki students might make fine friends after all.
Tiara‑san seems unfazed by the forum hate—that's good.

But the poll... the gap is five points, and floating undecideds are five points. Even if all undecided voters break for her, it's only a tie. To win, we must cut into Sakurai‑kun's base.

"They wrote about Sakurai‑kun too—mostly girls supporting him."
"Don't trust forum gender labels."

Teaching netiquette, I think about Sakurai's camp: if he wins, Yanami becomes vice president. The Lit Club can't lose more members—we've already got fewer now that Komari's writing has slowed...

Tiara‑san, silent at first, exhales:

"Until last week, I thought I had no chance. Now it looks winnable."
She stares at me with earnest eyes:

"I want to win. Not by sympathy, but on my own merits. I won't ask you to join the council—just lend me your support as a recommender."

...Her vice‑presidency wasn't sympathy—it was trust.
The president, Shikiya‑senpai, Sakurai‑kun—they all trusted her.
And surely they worried about her too.
Maybe Tiara‑san can't fully trust herself.

I finish the cooling coffee and set down my cup:

"...I don't want to back out of a fair fight."
Tiara‑san nods without a word.

"If you'll be my recommender, I have one request."
"! Maybe—"
"No, not that."

As I cancel her pink misunderstanding, I show her my phone's poster again:

"I want you to speak at the candidate rally in that outfit."
"For that...?"
Tiara‑san scrutinizes the poster:

"....I see. You mean that."
"You understand?"
She nods deeply:

"In other words—a shame‑play—"
"No."
This is hopeless.

Feeling like I'm talking to a child, I explain:

"Look at the poll: first‑year boys are trending your way, right?"
"But female support fell, didn't it?"
"That's among second‑years. Criticism hits prominent peers harder. Show me the poll again."

She brings up the school paper and places it center‑table:

"Sakurai‑kun's gains are almost entirely from girls. His male support is flat or down among firsts and thirds."

Peering at the screen together:

"Sakurai‑kun's cute, but that doesn't translate to male votes. In fact, guys who like him might vote for the rival to deny their feelings."
"...That happens?"
It does—but I won't go into detail.

"In short, we need a full‑throttle men's‑vote offensive with Chika‑pyon cosplay. It's our only comeback."
"Won't the girls hate it?"
"They already don't like me, so it's fine."
"Ugh!"

Tiara‑san clutches her chest. Brutal truth, but we must face it.

"What do you say?"
"...It's a promise, then."

Tilting her face red, she looks up from the phone:

"On voting day next Monday, if I give the speech in that outfit—"
"Yes. I'll give the support speech as your recommender."

I look up from my phone, leaning forward—or rather, Tiara's face rushes toward me, and we both recoil with a startled "!"
We awkwardly grab our cups.

"...So, shall we go with that?"
"Y‑yes. Please."

Reaching for our coffees at the same moment, we realize they're empty and we laugh wryly as we set the cups down.

"What's so funny, Nukumizu‑kun? You're cracking up."
"And you, Tiara‑san. It's okay to let it out."

Our eyes meet, and we finally burst into laughter.
After sharing the laugh, Tiara‑san dabs at her eyes with a handkerchief:

"Don't make me laugh too much. And—"
"What?"
"Don't call me by my given name."

She says it in a strangely joyful voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ever since I decided to be her recommender, time flew by in an instant.
Sunday night, the day before the vote.
At my desk, I switched my phone to speaker mode and spoke to it.

"All right, then—this means our speeches are finalized."
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."

Tiara‑san, through the phone, offered a polite bow—then suddenly let out a soft giggle.
"Was something funny?"
"No... it's just that the support‑speech draft took the longest. I found that kind of amusing."

Ugh... as a literature‑club member, my identity hurts.
"Well, I only started preparing that one last. I couldn't overlap with your speech, after all."
"Oh, you didn't call me by my given name today, did you?"
"Well, that's because..."

She's teasing me completely. I ended the call, set my pen on the notebook, and sighed.

"All that's left is to neatly copy the draft...."

Tiara‑san's strength is her vice‑president experience despite being a first‑year.
Plan: My support speech highlights her record so far; her candidate speech positions her as the successor to President Hōkohara.
Both speeches are tomorrow, right after lunch. Voting follows immediately—so the impression we make will directly decide the result.

"Onii‑sama, shall we take a break?"

That voice—Kaju's—suddenly sounded at my ear.
She set a steaming cup of chamomile tea on my desk.

"How long have you been here?"
"Well... how long, I wonder?"

She teased, then drew back the curtain.
"There are clouds tonight, so we can't see the moon."
"Oh, I hear the rain starts late."

I breathed in the tea's sweet scent and leaned back.
I never meant to, but I got dragged into being a recommender.
At this rate, I might end up vice‑president too...?

––"I don't trust you, but I do."
Komari's words flitted through my mind.
That I will refuse. I can say NO when it counts.

I covered Kaju with a blanket and walked to the window to close the half‑drawn curtain.
On the Newspaper Club's forum, comments keep piling up. Tiara‑san's cosplay still draws both praise and criticism—with the girls' criticism tracking the boys' interest. She says she doesn't mind, but she told me, so she must be hurt.
Is it right to have her speak in that outfit tomorrow?

"I absolutely have to win...."

Muttering to myself, I saw a dark shape drifting in front of the house.
? What is that...? Squinting, it looked like a person.
Only one person I know can melt into the darkness like that...

At that moment, my phone on the desk let out a high‑pitched ring, as if glass shattered—
a call from Shikiya‑senpai.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At my front door, I handed Shikiya‑san a mobile battery.
"Th‑thanks... I'll... return it tomorrow..."

The reason she called me out here was surprisingly simple: her phone was about to die, and she wanted to borrow my battery.
Come to think of it, someone else barged into my house for the same reason...

Shikiya‑san's face was dimly lit by her phone's glow.
As I watched her without thinking, I unconsciously spoke.
"Why were you out here?"

"I've... been practicing buses and trains... lately?"
She tilted her head, speaking like a refined manga heroine.

"By the way, someone from home used to pick you up partway to school, right?"
"Yeah... when I realize it... I'm somewhere unfamiliar... so I don't ride the bus..."
Shikiya‑san swayed gently.

"But... I can't... always... do that..."
Her words drifting into the night somehow stayed in my chest.

Before I could grasp their meaning, her eyes darted away.
"Which way... to the tram stop...?"
"Oh, if you go straight down this road, you'll hit the main street."
"Got it... sorry... for the late hour..."

She began walking unsteadily, then suddenly stopped. Still facing away, she whispered:
"You know... you and... Tiara‑chan..."
"Is something wrong with Tiara‑san?"
She remained silent.

Just as I opened my mouth again, her hair fluttered—despite no breeze.
"N‑no... it's... nothing..."

She resumed walking, her figure so indistinct it seemed about to dissolve into the darkness—
an ephemeral shadow fading away.

Feeling compelled, I took a step forward.
"—Um, let me walk you partway."

She halted. Slowly she turned, reflecting me in her pale eyes.
"Okay... please."

For the next few minutes, we walked in silence.
Her steps felt just slightly slower than usual.

Together, we wandered the Sunday night, both holding unspoken feelings in our chests.
So many things I wanted to say—but none came out.

From afar, the sound of cars on the street grew nearer.
Reluctantly, we pressed on until we emerged onto the tram-lined avenue.

Beside the intersection, a large stone lantern inscribed "Jōyatō" glowed softly.
The tram stop lay just in front—across the crosswalk in the road's center.

Shikiya‑san paused at the lantern and spoke unexpectedly:
"Um... I... learned... to ride a bicycle..."
"Isn't that dangerous? Maybe you should use training wheels."

Despite my thoughtless remark, she swayed happily.
"I can do more... little by little... it's fun..."
"I'm glad to hear that."

Her small new skills widened the space between her and me—
tomorrow, either Tiara‑san or Sakurai‑kun will be chosen the next student‑council president.
After the sports festival, the current council disbands.
Shikiya‑san and President Hokobaru will begin preparing in earnest for their paths after spring.

––"Graduation comes in the blink of an eye."

Tsukinoki‑senpai said that once. The senpai I saw last week was so grown‑up.
Though she seemed unchanged, she wasn't the same Koto Tsukinoki who'd been at Tsuwabiki.
I felt that everyone grows up and moves on without waiting for me—but when that time comes, no one can help stepping into the next world.
Even without readiness or resolve, someday I too will change—

Lost in thought, I felt Shikiya‑san's gaze.
"What's... wrong...?"
"You're... so grown‑up, Shikiya‑senpai."

She tilted her head in puzzlement at my honest words.
"I... I'm still a kid...?"

She reached out as if uncertain, but stopped just before touching my face.
"Um... tomorrow's election... Tiara‑chan..."
So she came to see me about tomorrow's vote after all.

Shikiya‑senpai, who's close with Tiara‑san—and with Sakurai‑kun involved—must be worried.
I waited for her next words—but unusually, she hesitated.
"Senpai?"
"Well... I... my speech..."

Again, Shikiya‑san faltered.
She swayed gently, then suddenly looked down, sorrow in her eyes.
"I... I feel like Tiara‑chan... is avoiding me...?"
"That's not—"

This time I hesitated.
Through this campaign, Tiara‑san has distanced herself from the current council—escaping her seniors' spotlight to shine on her own.
"After the council ends... Tiara‑chan... goes right home..."
"It's not that Tiara‑san is avoiding you—"

––Not only Shikiya‑san is being avoided.

But that fact offered no comfort to her in front of me.
"...Lately, I think she's been busy... helping me with my support‑speech draft."

Shikiya‑san didn't react, standing quietly as if melting into the dark.
A car's headlights on Route 1 cut through the night, illuminating her.
"Please... let Tiara‑chan... win..."

Her voice so faint it seemed it would vanish. She stepped back.
"Senpai—watch out!"

She'd stepped onto the red‑light crosswalk—I yanked her hand with all my strength.
Without resisting, she fell against my chest.
A truck rumbled past, rattling the spot she'd just stood.

I held her to calm my breathing.
She leaned her weight on me, white eyes hiding her feelings, looking up.
Her body was surprisingly small—too fragile for me to hold tightly.

"Senpai—"
"...A little... it hurts."

My arms tensed without me noticing. Even when I relaxed, she stayed pressed against me.
The slight, sweat‑tinged scent around her made my head spin.
"Are you hurt?"
"Mhm... I'm okay..."

Still in that position, she gripped my shirt with her fingertips and looked into my eyes.
I looked away and took a step back.

At that moment, the crosswalk signal to the tram stop turned green.
"Senpai, the light's green."

She still didn't move.
"Really, please be careful on your way home."

Slowly, she moved—then suddenly:
"...Punch."
Posun. She gave my chest a weak little punch.
"Senpai?"

Without a word, she turned away and began crossing toward the tram stop.
Once, she looked back—then in a voice no louder than a mosquito's buzz, she whispered:

──"The Enemy of Women."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning of the vote.
The sky was heavy with thick, gray clouds, and the town was wrapped in a dim light as if before dawn.
I arrived at school earlier than usual and walked along the deserted linden‑tree avenue, rereading my support‑speech draft.
The speech is three minutes: introduce Tiara‑san in the beginning, then highlight her achievements mid‑speech, and lead into her candidate speech—carefully avoiding sounding boastful.

"...I'm getting kind of nervous."
I accepted this on a whim—maybe I should have declined...
Trying to calm myself, I glanced over at the field, where the track‑and‑field club's morning practice was in full swing.

Yakishio had already clinched nationals in the 1500 m—and now in the 3000 m as well.
She stood out even among the runners: while others stretched, she was already sprinting laps.

Lost in that sight, Yanami called out cheerfully:
"You're fired up, Nukumizu‑kun!"
"Morning. Yanami, you're early too, aren't you?"
"Of course—got to be on my game. Here—have some."

She offered me a container full of katsu‑sandwiches. Lately she's been living on katsu‑sando, and her pockets are stuffed with extra crusts.
As we walked and ate, my nerves eased. Even sparrows trailed us for the crumbs Yanami dropped...

"Oh, you're giving a speech too, right? You're okay speaking in front of people?"
Yanami wiped sauce off her finger with a lick and winked.

"I've got my strategy down. You know, picturing the audience as vegetables."
"Oh, like imagine the crowd as potatoes and pumpkins?"
She popped another katsu‑sando into her mouth.

"Exactly. Potatoes are great with butter, pumpkins shine as stews, and carrots—raw, they're crunchy. Think that way, and nerves go away—oops, I'm drooling."

She talks about food while eating food—typical Yanami at morning. But this katsu‑sando's rich pork fat and sauce are nicely balanced by shredded cabbage. I thought fried food this early would be rough, but...

"...This is delicious."
I admitted, and Yanami grinned.
"Right? Come on, eat more, Nukumizu‑kun. You need some muscle on you."
"Actually, since it's a lucky charm, you should give it to Sakurai‑kun, not me."

I mumbled, and Yanami's smile widened.
"Oh? Jealous? Because I'm friendly with Sakurai‑kun?"
"What? No!"

I shook my head firmly, and Yanami patted my shoulder.
"Don't be jealous. Election's today; tomorrow we're just normal friends again. No use being all tense now."
"True, but—no, I'm not jealous."
"You're not honest, Nukumizu‑kun. It's okay to admit it."

As annoying as she is, she's right in a way. Tiara‑san wants to be recognized by the council members as a person. But that risks breaking the current bonds—

"...Maybe Yanami's right."
"Huh? What do you mean—"

Oops, I almost spoke only to myself. I stopped and turned back to Yanami.
"When something's always there, you sometimes don't notice it. You understand that too, right?"
"W‑well, I have experience, so I get it."

Yanami nodded awkwardly. Good—she gets it. I spoke quickly:
"But to move forward, we need a chance to reaffirm our feelings—or our relationship. So we have to share how we feel—"
"Wait?! Isn't this a bit much to talk about before school?!"
"? But voting's this afternoon."

Yanami froze.
"...Nukumizu‑kun, what are you talking about?"
"I mean about Basori‑san. Even if we go back to being normal friends tomorrow, she always gives 100% and can't see what's around her. It's bad that she's drifting apart from the other council members—"

"............"

Yanami bit into her katsu‑sando in silence, then kicked at my foot.
"Ouch?! What?!"
"That's exactly it, Nukumizu‑kun!"

She turned her face away with a huff and went into the school building, leaving me stunned.
Dragging my aching foot, I followed—only to almost run into Yanami, who'd paused again.

"Yanami, what's wrong now?"
"Ah—good morning, Nukumizu‑kun."

Standing by the shoe lockers was not Chika‑pyon but a custom‑styled Basori Tiara—striped thigh‑highs, that "absolute zone," her hair in two‑side up.
Blushing, she pointed both index fingers at Yanami:
"Y‑Yanami‑san! Sorry, but we're going all out today—"

Yanami, pointed at in that awkward Chika‑pyon pose, nodded uncertainly:
"Y‑yeah... let's do our best."

Yanami, please don't look at me like that.
...Honestly, I'm a bit taken aback too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The end of lunch break saw the students who'd been playing in the gym return to their classrooms.

On the silent gymnasium stage, President Hokobaru looked each of the four of us—me, Tiara‑san, Sakurai‑kun, and Yanami—over in turn.

"It seems all candidates and their recommenders have assembled. I'll now explain the procedure."
"First up is Hiroto's group. Yanami‑kun's support speech will be three minutes, followed by Hiroto's candidate speech of up to five minutes. Then it'll be Nukumizu‑kun, and finally Basori‑kun. After each speech, students will promptly return to their classrooms to vote. Please stick strictly to the allotted times."

Having ensured we all understood, President Hokobaru smiled slightly.

"I know it feels strange to compete among friends, but fate has brought you here. Give it your all so you have no regrets—Tsuwabuki students will take your words to heart."

As she opened her mouth to continue, a shadow rose behind her.

"Hibari... Sensei... is calling...."
"Understood—coming right away."

President Hokobaru let her hair flutter as she turned and left. Yanami, however, stood frozen, staring at Tiara‑san for a long moment—long enough to feel tense—before silently pivoting and following the president.

Left alone on stage, I let out a deep breath. Beside me, Tiara‑san clenched her hands at her chest, trembling slightly.

"Nervous?" I asked.

"Y‑yes. Soon the entire student body will be lined up here... Are you okay, Nukumizu‑kun?"

"I'm nervous too, but this is all aboveboard—no risk of getting in trouble. That part's a relief."

"...Nukumizu‑kun, did you just... talk about something else?"
Oops—I'd slipped up. I'm clean of any past misdeeds now.

"How's your speech prep, Basori‑san?" I pivoted casually. Tiara‑san's face went pale as she nodded.

"I'm used to speaking before people as vice‑president, but... standing before the whole school in such an embarrassing outfit...."
"'Thinking about it...?'"
Gulp. I heard her swallow. The beauty mark on her pale neck fluttered slightly.

"M‑my body feels hot, my heart's racing... I guess I really am nervous."

...Is Tiara‑san about to open another strange door? Please, make sure you lock it behind you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Support Speech for Student Council President Candidate Hiroto Sakurai
—by Yanami Anna—

Yanami stood at the podium center‑stage and fiddled with the microphone's height.
"Ah—test, test."

After a thorough mic check, she cleared her throat.
"Um, hello—my name is Yanami Anna. I'm classmates with our candidate, Sakurai‑kun, so... yeah, that's our relationship."

A pretty loose opening, but as the first speaker she has to warm up a still‑cool crowd. Like a rakugo storyteller's banter, she needs to break the ice.

After a couple of relaxed quips, Yanami leaned into the mic.
Alright—enough preamble. Let's get to it.

"Suddenly—are you bread people or rice people?"

...Or maybe she's stuck in the preamble. Unfazed by the audience's puzzled silence, Yanami continued confidently:

"I'm a bread person in the morning and a rice person at lunch. Mornings are rushed—easy bread does the trick. At noon, I face the white rice in my lunchbox head‑on. In other words, to survive afternoon classes and a long break—you need the power of rice!"

She declared that, then swept her gaze over the crowd.
"I'm sure by now you know what I mean."

Sorry, I don't. Sakurai‑kun looked amused as he watched Yanami—his composure is something else.

Yanami cleared her throat again.
"Yes—Sakurai‑kun is rice! Rice gently embraces any topping—stew, oden, whatever. Rice accepts everything!"

Her engine had kicked in—Yanami's theater left the audience behind as she went on:

"If I'm mentaiko, his friends might be karaage or sesame salt...and so on—but he never plays favorites!"

Yanami snapped her finger towards the wings of the stage, where Sakurai‑kun casually appeared from behind the curtain.

"Sakurai‑kun never says rude things like 'sesame salt‑kun' carving at your heart—he listens properly. We should learn from him. Please, learn from him."

"'Sesame salt‑kun'—not sure who that is, but ouch. And why is Yanami looking at me?"

She turned back to the audience:
"The student council exists so you can have a better school life. But sometimes, we need your strength too, to walk alongside you. In those times, our 'hearty rice'—Hiroto Sakurai—will accept your feelings and nourish you!"

Bang! She slammed the podium with both hands.

"We won't let you go hungry! Hiroto Sakurai—use your power to make him steaming‑hot rice!"

A beat of silence, then tentative applause rippled through the gym.
The moment Yanami raised an arm and stepped back off the podium, the audience broke into loud cheers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's no doubt that the excitement got out of hand, but what was that speech just now?
If I were hungry, this could've been dangerous...

Yanami returned and high-fived Sakurai-kun.
I ignored Yanami's smug face and looked at Sakurai-kun.
Sakurai-kun had his usual calm smile.
He was staring intently at the stage, focusing.

The venue, unsettled by the Yanami show, was stirred up when the president's voice echoed.

"──Next, the student council president candidate's speech.
Class 2-C, Hiroto Sakurai.
Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Student Council President Candidate Speech – Hiroto Sakurai

Sakurai-kun dipped his head politely before the microphone.
"Hello. I'm Hiroto Sakurai, the current student council treasurer."

Completely different from before, he'd opened in a calm, measured way.
Sakurai-kun slowly scanned the audience.

"That said, I haven't been out much, so there may be many of you who don't know me."

Several high-pitched voices called out, "We know you!"

...What's that about? I thought Sakurai-kun was my friend.

"In the student council, I've served as everyone's assistant, handling support roles. I don't have any achievements I can really boast about, but I'd like to introduce the work the council has done so far."

Sakurai-kun's speech was more straightforward than I expected—earnest and sincere. After all, as a member of the council himself, it made sense for him to highlight its accomplishments.

Digitalizing facility reservations, reviewing event budgets, installing lighting in the girls' athletics building—he clearly pointed out these quiet yet impactful initiatives.

As I listened, a strange feeling began to grow in me. Could this be...?

Tiara-san touched my arm.
"Nukumizu-kun, may I see the script?"
"Oh—just a moment."

Our plan had been for my endorsement speech to showcase past achievements, then Tiara-san would lay out the council's future policies. In my script, Tiara-san's accomplishments matched exactly: digitalizing facility reservations, reviewing event budgets, installing lights in the girls' athletics building...

"This is..."

Tiara-san nodded with a stern look. Yes—Sakurai-kun was crediting Tiara-san's work in his speech.

—A perfect targeted move.

To be fair, the student council as a whole had carried out those projects, and Sakurai-kun had clearly stated he was only in a supporting role. He wasn't lying or misleading anyone. Yet if we repeated the same points afterward, it wouldn't just feel like reheating leftovers—it'd look like we were stealing his thunder.

"This is bad. I didn't expect Sakurai-kun to do this," I whispered.
"It's a legitimate tactic," Tiara-san said, clenching her fist with sharp resolve. "He simply turned the disadvantage of going first into an advantage. Our strategy was to use our turn for maximum visual impact with costumes. Let's abandon the prepared script and lean on our strongest suit—free talk."
"I don't have that skillset, though?!"

We panicked, while Yanami-chan watched us like we'd lost our minds.
"What are you fussing about? It's almost time for Nukumizu-kun to go on."

We heard the audience's applause—Sakurai-kun had finished. He bowed deeply toward the crowd, then returned behind the curtain. Tiara-san stood waiting, arms folded.

"You did well, Sakurai-kun," she said.
"Sorry, Basori-chan. I can make it up to you later, I promise."

Isn't he the one who should be apologizing to me...? No time for complaints.

I glanced at the script again. The more I looked, the more it was just Sakurai-kun's speech, word for word.

So I really have no choice but to attempt off-the-cuff free talk in front of the whole school...?

"All right, next up is the endorsement speech for Basori Tiara. Class 2-C, Nukumizu Kazuhiko. Please give him your attention."

President Hokobaru's crisp voice rang out. My turn had begun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Student Council President Candidate Endorsement Speech – Nukumizu Kazuhiko

......I have no choice but to go for it. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
Alright, I'm starting to steel myself. One more deep breath, then I'll step onto the stage.

"Nukumizu-san, you're being called!"

"Ah—yeah, I'm fine. I'm warmed up nicely, just a bit more..."
"Please continue on the stage!"
"Uh, wait—"

They push me onto the stage, and every student's gaze falls on me. I hurry toward the podium, and with shaking fingers I switch on the mic.

"Um, well... I've been appointed Basori-san's recommender. I'm Nukumizu."

I stumble over my words already, and force out a cough. The tension of standing alone onstage is nothing like at the club intro meeting back in April.

"Basori-san is, um... very earnest..."

My words die again, and the silence of the gym wraps around me.

—In reality, being cornered doesn't magically unlock hidden strength.

Completely deflated, I glance toward where Tiara-san should be waiting—but she's not there. Contrary to my expectations, she's staring at me with a serious look.

Eyes filled with trust and resolve.

—"Won't you champion only me?"

Her words at the café. Even now, Tiara-san believes in me. Even while I'm making a fool of myself in front of the whole school.

"...The first time I met her was before last year's Tsubaki Festival."

I lift my head and meet the gaze of all the students. Whether I steel myself or resign, I'm just another unremarkable student. I can only speak of Tiara-san—as Nukumizu Kazuhiko, who's known her for less than a year.

"My first impression was that she was a very serious student. And yes, at the Tsubaki Festival she wore a maid outfit and said 'nyan' or something, but overall she remained earnest."

I can almost feel Tiara-san's pressure from the wings...

"In this student council election, the school paper and the newspaper club's website bulletin board had all kinds of rumors—many of them downright insults."

When talking about the bulletin board, Tiara-san's expression flickered. She pretended not to care, but I could tell she was hurt.

"Well, to be fair, some of it was accurate. She can be inflexible, stubborn, even a bit selfish—"

I swallow hard against Tiara-san's mounting pressure and take a deep breath.

"But her selfishness isn't for herself; it's always for someone else. So I feel that this candidacy is her first act of selfishness—for herself."

—Maybe Sakurai-kun would make a better president. He's competent and, above all, well-liked. If I weren't involved, I'd vote for him too.

"I became her recommender because I wanted to grant her first selfish wish. True, compared to the current president she may seem unreliable..."

But I'm personally involved. I'm Basori Tiara's recommender.

"Yet she is who she is. Basori-san has her own strengths. I'm sure she'll be a great president. And if anyone still thinks poorly of her—"

Having chosen to stand here, I will be the one to champion her.

"Come to me! If you hear any insults, I will praise her a hundred times over! I will speak into the night about all the times I've seen Basori-san's clumsy yet strong, straightforward, and caring side!"

Having poured out everything in my head, I exhale deeply and look around the gym. The students sit frozen in silence.

Did I just mess up...?

I glance back at the wings, and Tiara-san's face is bright red as she strikes her "Chikapyon" pose, pointing at me. What is that feeling even meant to be?

—Just then, a chill breeze brushes the back of my neck.

"I—want to... talk until morning... too..."

"Huh?!"

Before I can react, there's a snap, and the gym lights suddenly go out. The gym plunges into darkness unthinkable for daytime, and confused murmurs rise everywhere. For a moment, the world wavers before my eyes, and as they adjust to the dark, I gasp in surprise. Somehow, I'm standing back in the wings where I was before the speech started.

Snap—again the lights flick on, and a ripple of astonishment spreads through the gym.

Standing at the center of the stage, before the podium, is—Shikiya-san.

As she sways before the mic, a high-pitched howling feedback rings out. When it finally dies down, she slowly opens her mouth.

"3-E... Shikiya Yumeko... contestant... swap..."

At that instant, everyone present holds their breath. Once more, the ceiling lights begin to flicker, and some of the girls let out small cries of alarm──

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Candidate for Student Council President – Endorsement Speech for Basori Tiara
– Shikiya Yumeko –

Of course, even President Hokobaru didn't expect this.
From the opposite wing, she's shaking her head and beckoning Senior Shikiya over.
But Shikiya-san pays no mind and begins to speak in a low, muffled voice.

"Student council president candidate... Tiara-chan... as you know... serves... as vice-president..."

Tiara-san tugs on my arm as I stare, dumbfounded.
"Why is Senior Shikiya standing over there?!"
"I-I have no idea what's going on either..."

As I'm cornered, Yanami-chan gives me a thumbs-up. Please stop—that's misleading.
I calm Tiara-san and glance back at the stage, where Shikiya-san's speech continues.
She's recounting the time last April when Tiara-san joined the school beautification volunteer group.

"Tiara-chan... wasn't getting along... with others..."

I can easily picture Tiara-san clashing with her peers back then.
When we first met, she was a bit more... sharp around the edges, no doubt for good reason.

"But... when I was away for a while... she kept the flowerbeds... perfectly tended..."

Shikiya-san sways and looks off into space. The students follow her gaze upward—of course, there's nothing there.

"I thought they'd all died... so I was really happy..."

Her flat delivery is laden with awkward emotion; even I can feel it. Tiara-san must feel it too, because the tense set to her shoulders finally relaxes.

"—Senior Shikiya has a habit of giving up what's important to her," Tiara-san murmurs to herself. Spotting my gaze, she adds curtly,
"That's why we all need to step in and protect her."

That flowerbed story comes from before Tiara-san joined the council.
How could she understand Shikiya-san so deeply already?

"...Why do you say that?"
"You can see it. I'm the same way."

Tiara-san meets my eyes, then returns her gaze to the stage.
Shikiya-san continues her quiet recounting.

"She would help... even people... who spoke ill of her..."

Her swaying grows more pronounced.

"Even if no one's watching... or praising her... she'd do things... for everyone's sake..."

Then she stops on a dime. Shouldn't someone give her a Peach Water or something?
The whole school watches with bated breath as Shikiya-san moves again.

"But... I wasn't the first to discover her..."

I was sure Shikiya-san had been the one to spot Tiara-san's talent.

"It was... Sakurai-kun... who told me there was someone special..."
"Huh?"

Tiara-san's small exclamation from beside me. Sakurai-kun rubs his nose sheepishly under her gaze.

"He said... there's a dedicated, caring girl... so he wanted her on the student council..."

Shikiya-san bounces lightly, as if keeping time.

"When we met... she was cute... earnest... easygoing... kind..."

Shikiya-san beams as she praises Tiara-san. The praise makes Tiara-san shift uncomfortably.

"She has a cute mole... smells like soap... has a tender back... adorable..."

Wait, this is veering off. Tiara-san's shy grin fades into something else.

"Her bra size... doesn't fit... but it's cute... and I have a feeling she's... growing lately..."

Ah—Tiara-san's fist clenches and trembles. Shikiya-san, satisfied, sways silently onstage.

With time almost up, she speaks again.

"Tiara-chan is... someone who... becomes... for others..."

She suddenly lurches toward the podium, and a murmur ripples through the gym.
Gripping the mic with both hands, she gasps out,
"Everyone... please... vote... for Tiara-chan... but..."
Drawing her final breath,
"Sakurai-kun's... a cute underclassman too... so think carefully... before... you vote..."

The moment she finishes, sunlight streams through the gym windows—illuminating Shikiya-san onstage.
As if on cue, the applause that follows shakes the gym as though the whole moment had been a dream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shikiya-san, who'd gone back to the opposite wing, is getting a chop from President Hokobaru. So cute.
When I glance at Tiara-san, she's hiding her face and trembling puru puru.

"Seriously... everyone, enough already...!"

This is bad—she's about to snap.

"But it seems to have gone well. It's almost your turn, Tiara-san, right?"
"Everyone's being way too selfish, isn't it?! Can you knock it off?!"

Even if you tell me that...

──"Thank you for waiting, everyone. We'll continue with the student council president candidate speeches. Class 2-F—Basori Tiara. Please welcome her."

Tiara-san, who still looked like she had something to say, tightens her expression at the announcement. She places a hand on her chest and takes a deep breath.

"...Then I guess I have no choice but to do it my own way, too."
"Huh—are you... fired up?"

Tiara-san flicks the little tuft of hair tied at the side of her head and gives me a grin, showing her white teeth.

"Well then, I'm off, Nukumizu-san."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Candidate for Student Council President Speech – Basori Tiara

A murmur ripples through the gym as Tiara-san appears from the wings in full view.
It's easy to forget, but she's basically in public cosplay...

Tiara-san bows deeply toward the audience beside the podium, then steps up to the microphone.
"Thank you for having me. I'm Basori Tiara, and I've put myself forward as a candidate for the next student council president."

Contrary to her appearance, she opens with a surprisingly earnest tone.
The fluffy, unsettled atmosphere from Shikiya-san's entrance gradually settles.

"Like Sakurai-kun just now, I also currently serve as vice president of the student council. Some of you may know me from helping out at school events."

She gauges the audience's reaction, then continues in a gentle voice.
"For the past year, I planned to showcase what the student council has done—but Sakurai-kun beat me to it, didn't he?"

She smiles slightly and glances toward Sakurai-kun in the wings, drawing soft laughter from the crowd.
Tiara-san turns back to face the audience and speaks more formally.

"In junior high, Tsuwabuki High was a school I admired."

She speaks with a hint of nostalgia, veering completely away from our script.
"The seniors here were heroes and heroines to me. My dream was to pass the entrance exam and spend my high school years alongside them."

She speaks as if addressing her past self rather than the students before her.
"Studying normally, working hard in club activities, living a normal school life—"

She pauses, then locks eyes with the audience.
"I believed that if I got into this school, I too could be 'normal' at Tsuwabuki. But reality wasn't so kind."

After a brief hesitation, she continues.
"My grades have never been good. Actually, they're quite poor. I can barely avoid failing each term."

—A long-hidden secret: her deepest insecurity.
"Sports don't come easily to me, and even in conversations with friends, I often feel the gap between us. I realized soon after enrolling that I could never be that 'normal' I once admired."

At that, her expression clears as if a weight has lifted.
"It was around this time last year that I joined a student council–led volunteer activity. I was invited by seniors to join the council—apparently Sakurai-kun was the one who put my name forward."

She smiles mischievously before continuing.
"Many of you know what's happened since then."

She lets the joke hang for a moment, then sobers.
"Honestly, I've caused a lot of trouble because of my inexperience. I've hurt people unthinkingly."

Before I realize it, Sakurai-kun stands beside me. I nudge him, and he whispers, "All's well that ends well. Thank you." He replies "You're welcome," and that's it.
We stand side by side, ready to support Tiara-san's sincerity.

"Through my student council activities, I learned something: I can't become the hero or heroine I once admired. But I can support them...!"

She snatches the handheld mic from its stand.
"Yes—everyone here! You are the heroes and heroines I've always looked up to!"

Her impassioned shout echoes through the gym.
"I—and the student council—will create an environment where you can devote yourselves to studies and club activities!"

Ignoring the feedback screech, she yells into the mic.
"The support I offer may not always be enough, and I may cause inconvenience! You may feel frustrated—I welcome it! Confront me with it! I'll take it all! Don't hold back!"

There's a hint of something deeper behind her words, but I'll let it pass.
Yet the crowd is swept up in her straightforward passion. The question marks that hovered over them are gone, replaced by excitement.

Flushed, she leans into the podium.
"So...so...!"

She seems almost too excited—if she gets more worked up...

"I am—?!"

She presses her hands to her nose in panic. The mic falls onto the podium with a dull thud.
...No way. Tiara-san's shoulders begin to tremble. So that means...

A sudden hush falls as the speech stalls.
"Hey, Basori-san, what's wrong? Ate too much?"

Yanami-chan approaches, chewing something, eyes full of concern. Dude, we're in class.
But more importantly, this is bad. I'm not exactly sure how, but we need to do something...

As I fumble for tissues in my pocket, Tiara-san's trembling stops. In her eyes gleams the light of resolve.
She releases her hands, grips the mic—and bleeds from her nose.

"In other words, you are my 'oshi'—my favorite! That's why!"

A raw shout and nosebleed—nothing is spared. She takes a deep breath and unleashes her loudest roar yet:

 "Please! Let me support all of you!"

A high-pitched howling feedback cuts through the silence. Tiara-san pants heavily, the entire gym captivated by her intensity.
She draws another deep breath, then sharply points at Senior Shikiya in the wings.

"And you, Senior Shikiya—please stop calling me by my given name in public!"

She wipes the blood from her lip with her sleeve and addresses every student at Tsuwabuki:
"That's all! I'm Basori Tiara!"

Her roar echoes one last time.

That day, Basori Tiara was chosen as the next student council president of Tsuwabuki High.
And in the days that followed, she would come to be known as—
The Crimson President.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Intermission - Time to clean up~

Student Council Room, Late Afternoon

Hokobaru Hibari and  Shikiya Yumeko are writing something on the whiteboard. A long silence breaks when Hokobaru speaks.
"Shikiya, that was surprising. If Basori-kun had lost, it wouldn't have been funny."
"Yeah... I'm just glad Tiara-chan won."
Shikiya says as if it's someone else's problem, then draws a big flower circle with a red marker.

"Tiara-chan... did she... get home... okay?"
"Yeah. Hiroto saw her home, so she's fine."
Hokobaru isn't satisfied with the lettering and erases a few characters to rewrite them.

"Hey, Shikiya—"
"What is it...?"
"I still can't figure it out. Why did you do that?"

—"That"—of course meaning the endorsement speech.
Shikiya stops writing, her gaze drifting as she searches for the right words.
"Both of them... are cute... I hate it when they spar like that..."
She tilts her head with a slightly spoiled gesture.
"Sorry...?"
"Why apologize? I'm not angry."
"It's just... Sakurai-kun... lost..."

Shikiya's apologetic tone earns her a wry smile from Hokobaru.
"The one with stronger feelings was chosen. It's a satisfying result."
"Is that okay...?"
"Yeah. I can trust Basori-kun with the council."

Hokobaru picks up the marker and writes again.
"Not that...," Shikiya begins, then falls silent.
Hokobaru hesitates, then replies flatly,
"That matter's long settled."

For a while, only the sound of the marker gliding on the board fills the room. Satisfied, Hokobaru nods.
"Shikiya, have you decided yet?"
Shikiya sways slightly at the unexpected question.
"I... I'm slowly... deciding..."
"I see."

Silence falls again.

Watching Hokobaru's drawing, Shikiya murmurs,
"Tiara-chan... plans to ask Sakurai-kun to be vice president..."
"Yeah, I figured. Hiroto accepted."
"Right..."

"Have we told the others? Two people won't be enough."
Shikiya replies,
"Tiara-chan... seems to have... something in mind..."
Hokobaru, about to ask more, instead lets out a self-deprecating smile.
"Worrying about someone leaving is rather uncouth. ...Alright, I'm done."
"I'm done, too..."

They cap their markers and step back to admire the board. In the center, in big letters, it reads:
"Everything else is in your hands!"
Around it are cute illustrations and messages.

"Hibari... is this... a penguin...?"
"Cute, isn't it? A new form of penguin-human—Ojipen."
"It... needs discussion..."
Shikiya drifts behind Hokobaru, leaning back-to-back. Then she raises her palm above her head.
"Hibari... have you... grown... taller?"
"Maybe. Honestly, you just keep growing upward."

They can't see each other's faces, but feel each other's breath against their backs as they speak wistfully.
"That was fun, wasn't it?"
"Yeah... it was fun..."

The current student council will disband after the sports festival day after tomorrow, passing the torch to the next council. Time marches on. Their three years together are limited.

"By the way, Shikiya, I've wanted to ask..."
Hokobaru stares curiously at the cat on the whiteboard.
"What's this 'Nuko'? Is it different from a cat?"

The drawing shows a cat lying on a giant pillow, titled "Nukomakura."
Shikiya stands beside her and tilts her head gently.
"Nuko is cute... so...?"
"Because it's cute. I get it."
Hokobaru nods in approval.

Watching Hokobaru's profile, Shikiya speaks up softly.
"May I... give it a kiss... on the cheek...?"
"No. Save it for a real emergency."

Hokobaru says firmly, then returns her gaze to the whiteboard with a contented smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

That Concludes Chapter 3 and the Intermission. Yanami Budots When?

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